


Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor

by charbax



Category: Paladins: Champions Of The Realm (Video Game)
Genre: Clothes Shopping, I MEAN TECHNICALLY, M/M, Pining, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, back when the sentinels were still a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 18:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15869163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charbax/pseuds/charbax
Summary: Viktor becomes the model for the Sentinels' new uniform. He just doesn't know it yet. Not quite Striktor, but at the same time, Striktor.





	Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor

“Ok, what’s up?” Viktor said, more curious than exasperated as he gazed up at the tailor’s sign, hands on his hips.

“It’s a surprise.” Buck answered.

Viktor turned his skeptical gaze from the sign to him instead. “Why can’t you tell me?”

“...because it’s a surprise?”

“Alright.” Viktor said in a tone that had Buck unconsciously straightening his back. “I command you to tell me what’s going on.”

Buck bit his lip and tried to look anywhere but his leader’s stern face, eyes wide in a silent plea. Tyra barged in. “Don’t worry Viktor, it’s not anything malicious. We’ll explain everything when we get inside.”

Viktor raised his eyebrow. While it normally instilled a sense of duty in his squadmates, Tyra just smiled at him (in contrast to Buck, who clamped up even further). He went to each member present – Tyra, Buck (still looking like he wanted to bolt), Vivian (leaning against a lampost and looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here) even to Strix (who didn’t show any emotion apart from indifference. Now Viktor was _very_ sure he didn’t want to be here either). Eventually, Viktor shrugged. “Fair enough. But I want answers as soon as we step inside.”

He didn’t get a chance. The bell above the door chimed cheerfully when he pushed in, immediately summoning an equally cheerful assistant to the door. “Good morning, esteemed company! How may we help you today?”

Tyra pushed her way to the front of the group and brought up a paper with the magistrate crest on it. “We’re here for an appointment.”

The assistant’s smile widened even further as he scanned the letter. He gestured to the doorway with curtains. “Excellent! If you all would follow me please.”

They filed in, single order (with Buck at the back, since he was busy admiring the classy interior of the shop), parting the curtains as they did so. The room they entered was intimately sized, with enough room for the group, but small enough that all attention was on the three mirrored stand on the far wall. It was heavy on the mahogany, with wooden panelling and glossy veneer. The rest of the room was as tastefully lavish, plush cushions adorning the couches, and paintings of landscapes covering the walls right next to banners. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window.

"Please wait here while I fetch the tailor." The attendant announced, then disappeared through a different set of curtains. Viktor turned around with a raised eye.

"Tailor?"

"You know," Tyra said. "For fitting clothes."

"I figured, but what are we here for?"

The tailor chose to reappear in that moment with a grand sweep of the curtains, their assistant just a step behind. "Ah, welcome, welcome! You are Viktor, yes?"

"....sure?" Viktor started cautiously, eyeing the flashy and ornate clothing, the asymmetrical drape of the cape, the expectant smile.

“You’re a _little_ stockier than I anticipated but,” The tailor winked. “I can work with that.”

There was a joke somewhere in there, Viktor was sure of it, but before he could voice it, there was a hand on his back and a gentle nudge towards one of the curtained rooms. “Now,” the tailor continued. “It might be a tight fit, but nothing a bit of seam loosening can’t fix.”

Viktor sent one last glance at his team (traitors, the whole of lot of them), who did nothing to stop the force that was the tailor pushing him through the curtains. After they finished swishing closed, Buck turned to the squad in a burst of energy. “I can’t believe that worked!”

“Of course it did.” Vivian answered, with the slightest of smugness in her voice. “My plans are infallible.”

“Your plan involved being huffy and pretending you wanted nothing to do with this.” Strix pointed out.

“You were doing the same thing.”

Strix shuffled in the spot. He didn’t have the guts to tell her (or _anyone_ ) that the thought of even being near Viktor made his insides flutter like a bird was trying to claw its way out of his stomach. Mostly he settled on steeling his face with a glare, but judging by the widening of Vivian’s knowing look, it wasn’t working as well as he hoped. It seemed like a great joke at first, to pretend at first, but now it was less of keeping the ruse up and more of keeping those emotions from showing up as a burn across his cheeks.

Luckily – or perhaps, unluckily – he was saved by Viktor’s reappearance. “Y’know, it would’ve been easier if you told me I was gonna be the Realm’s Next Top Model for our new uniform.” Viktor said as he stepped onto the middle platform of the mirror booth.

Strix’s mouth went dry.

Sunlight shined off the metallic fastenings of Viktor’s new jacket, bringing attention to the pressed lapels. It was the same crimson red as the Magistrate’s banners without being eye-searing as the colour might have implied. The pants were also ironed to perfection, the colour of the evening sky, and tucked into oil-shined boots. A bandolier, soft with treated leather, crossed from Viktor’s left shoulder and around his hips, with a badge in the shape of a wolf over where his heart was. And pulling it altogether was a velvet cape in a rich red, darker than the jacket, clasped underneath the gilded pauldrons on the shoulders. Viktor was pulling at the collar, a sharp cut just under his jaw.

The rest of the squad’s reactions were different from Strix’s speechlessness– Tyra started clapping as Buck whooped. Vivian’s smirk was now bordering on absolute egoism. The tailor held their steepled fingers in front of their delighted smile, their assistant beaming away as well. “I have truly outdone myself. This would do any Magistrate soldier proud. The only minor thing is the chest, but as I have said before, minor thing.”

The tailor was right about the new uniform being too tight, for the jacket creaked slightly as Viktor pirouetted on the podium, admiring himself in the three mirrors. “A bit too flashy for the field if you asked me.”

“It’s not for battle. It’s a proposed design for formal events, such as parades or ceremonies.” Vivan said. “The Magistrate sees great potential in us.”

Viktor gave another spin on his heel. “Verdict?”

Tyra gave a thumbs up, Buck’s smile was wide, even Vivian – master of emotions – nodded approvingly. The only squadmember who didn’t react was Strix, who was suddenly studying the mahogany panelling of a far wall.

Tyra followed Strix’s line of sight, grinned, then said aloud, “Strix! Aren’t you gonna take a look at our new uniform?”

Strix’s eyes barely skimmed over the outfit, still slightly tight around the chest, then returned to the walls with a non-committal grunt. Tyra continued. “Really? That’s all you have to say about the future of the Sentinels? The image we’re gonna show? Our solidarity?”

“Yeah!” Buck jumped in, most likely oblivious to Tyra’s teasing but catching onto her enthusiasm. “The uniform looks great! I love the colours and the shape, and it looks great on Viktor!”

Viktor shrugged. “Clothes are clothes. If you guys are happy, then I’m happy.”

The tailor joined in. “Very well. I shall wait for everyone’s final decision. Strix?” They addressed. Everyone turned to face him. Strix fidgeted ever so slightly. “Look at the man in the eye and tell him what you think.”

Strix drew in a breath and finally met Viktor’s expectant stare. The bubbling feeling intensified. “...it looks fine.” He managed a full five seconds of eye contact then decided it was long enough to go back to staring at the wall. It was a miracle that his face managed to stay neutral and not burn up.

The tailor seemed satisfied with the answer, clapping his hands together. “Excellent, just excellent! I shall get started on the rest of the uniforms with haste. I’ll send for you all when I am finished.” He and the assistant ushered Viktor back to the changeroom. Strix let out a deep breath of relief. By the time he emerged, back in his old clothes, the rest of the squad was already on their feet to leave. The assistant escorted them back to the front room.

“Don’t worry about the bill, the grand magister said he will take care of it.” He said as he held upon the front door. “Have an excellent day!”

They said their goodbyes and started making their way back to the magistrate’s castle. Viktor fell to the back of the group where Strix was guarding their backs. “Hey. I know you might have found the whole thing boring as hell, so I want to say thanks.” Viktor murmured. “The uniforms really do mean that we’re a part of something bigger now. A unit. A front united. Having each other’s back. So I’ll take this oppurtunity to say that I got yours, even if you don’t see the same way yet.”

Strix nodded once, then Viktor was speed walking to chat with the other squadmates. Strix didn’t want to reveal that he had been the first one to vote for that particular design. After all his mooning over Viktor, of course he would have one of the better imaginings about how the cape would sit on Viktor’s shoulders.

As he stared at Viktor’s back, he answered in his mind.

‘ _And I, yours sir.’_


End file.
